Window fan with cover

ABSTRACT

A new and novel window fan with a cover is provided which comprises a housing unit having a front panel and a rear panel, the front and rear panels having grills; a fan disposed between the front and rear panels; a motor; a control element; a cover; a plurality of first fastening members on the housing unit; and a plurality of second fastening members on the cover designed to connect with the plurality of first fastening members on the housing unit. A new and novel window fan cover is also provided which includes a plurality of fastening members for attaching to the window fan.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/031,433 filed Jul. 31, 2014, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a window fan with a cover.

The invention also relates to a window fan cover and a window fanhousing with a cover.

BACKGROUND

Window fans are a practical low cost alternative to air conditioningunits for maintaining a comfortable temperature and ventilation within abuilding. Like a portable window air conditioning unit, a window fan istypically installed within the frame of a window. However, unlike aportable window air conditioning unit, a window fan is relativelyinexpensive to operate.

A window fan typically contains a housing unit with a front and rearpanel, a fan, a motor and a control element. The front and rear panelsboth contain openings (e.g., grilles) so that when turned on, the windowfan draws in air from the outside into the building (e.g., intake mode),or draws air from inside the building out (e.g., exhaust mode).

Because the exterior side of the window fan is exposed to the outsideenvironment, the interior of the fan's housing can is exposed to and canaccumulate environmental elements such as dust, rain, ice, dirt,insects, spider webs, leaves, etc. which can decrease the performance ofthe window fan.

Additionally, because the window fan contains grilles which are open onone side to the outside environment and on the opposite side to thebuilding's environment, air can circulate or flow through theconventional window fan, even if the power is not on. However, there arecircumstances where such natural air flow or circulation can beundesirable. For example, if the temperature outside is warmer than theinterior building temperature or is colder than comfortable interiortemperature.

To deal with these two potential problems, window fan users typicallymust remove or uninstall the window fan from the window frame so thewindow can be closed. When the user wishes to use the window fan again,he or she must reinstall the window fan.

As such, there is a need for an improved window fan or device so thatusers do not have to remove and reinstall the window fan to address theaforementioned problems.

SUMMARY

A new and useful window fan with at least one cover is provided whichcomprises a housing unit having a front panel and a rear panel, thefront and rear panels having grilles; a fan disposed between the frontand rear panels; a drive motor operatively connected to the fan; acontrol element operatively connected to the motor; at least one cover;a plurality of first fastening members on at least one side of thehousing unit; and a plurality of second fastening members on the coverdesigned to connect with the plurality of first fastening members on thehousing unit.

A new and useful window fan cover is also provided which includes aplurality of fastening members for attaching the cover to a window fan.

A new and novel window fan housing with a cover is further providedcomprising a housing unit having a front/interior panel and arear/exterior panel, the front and rear panels having grilles; at leastone and optionally two covers for covering the front and/or rear grills;a plurality of first fastening members on the front and/or the rearpanels of the housing unit; and a plurality of second fastening memberson the cover or covers adapted to connect with the plurality of firstfastening members on the housing unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a window fan without a cover attached.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a window fan with a cover attached to theinterior side of the fan housing.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the section A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of the front panel of a window fan without acover attached.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a window fan without a cover attached.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the control element of the window fan.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a window fan with a cover attached.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of Section A of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of the cover attached to the window fan.

FIG. 10 is an illustration of Section A of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of Section B of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A window fan with a cover is herein provided which will overcome thedeficiencies of the prior art window fan. Specifically, by including acover or covers which go over and seal the openings or grilles of thewindow fan, the natural air flow or circulation of air from inside tooutside (or vice versa) is stopped and the tendency of the window fanhousing to accumulate environmental elements reduced.

In the present invention, the window fan comprises a housing unit havinga front panel and a rear panel, the front and rear panels having grills;a fan disposed between the front and rear panels; a drive motoroperatively connected to the fan; a control element operativelyconnected to the motor; at least one cover; a plurality of firstfastening members on at least one side of the housing unit; and aplurality of second fastening members on the cover or covers designed toconnect with the plurality of first fastening members on the housingunit.

The fan blades may be of any shape conventionally used in window fans.The motor is connected to the fan and the control element, which may beany such control element known in the art to turn the power on/off andadjust the speed of the fan.

As shown in FIG. 1, the window fan 1 includes a housing unit 2, whichincludes grilles 3 on both the rear and front panels 4. Because of thesegrilles 3, air will naturally flow from outside to inside or vice versa.

As shown in FIG. 2, the window fan 1 is provided with a cover 5 whichcovers the grille 3 (not shown because it is covered up). The cover 5may be attached to the rear or front panel of the housing unit 2, orboth the rear and front panels. Preferably, cover 5 is attached frontpanel for ease of access without having to open the window in whichwindow fan 1 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 3, which is an expanded view of the section A from FIG.2, the cover 5 is attached to the housing unit 2 by fastening member 6.The cover 5 can be attached any part of housing unit 2, including grille3. The fastening member 6 can be any fastening system known in the art,including but not limited to a female/male fasteners, a hook andeye/loop fasteners and connectors, etc.

In another exemplary embodiment, the housing unit 2 includes a pluralityof first fastening members and the cover 5 includes a plurality ofsecond fastening members designed to connect with the plurality of firstfastening members on the housing unit 2. For example, as shown in FIG.4, the plurality of first fastening members 8 on the housing unit 2(such as the front panel 4) can be in the form of protrusions,extensions or mounting hooks which connect to the respective attachmentloops or holes (representing the plurality of second fastening members 9as shown in FIGS. 9-11) on cover 5.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8, the plurality of first fasteningmembers 8 on housing unit 2 can be located anywhere on housing unit 2,including on grille 3 and on either or both of front and rear panels 4.As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to attach cover 5 to housing unit 2 forexample, the plurality of first fastening members 8 on the front panel 4would simply connect or mate with the corresponding plurality of secondfastening members 9 on cover 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, window fan 1 can also include extenders 10 on eachside of the window fan to extend the length of the fan so as to fitwider windows.

As shown in FIG. 6, control element 7 of window fan 1 can includeseveral speeds for adjusting the speed of the fan/motor (e.g., high,low).

Cover 5 can be made from fabric, plastic, rubber or other conventionalcover materials. Cover 5 is preferably designed to match the shape ofgrilles 3 or the shape of openings 3 on panel 4 of housing unit 2 andseal them from the environment. Cover 5 may be windproof, waterproofand/or insulated as well.

As shown in FIG. 9, the plurality of second fastening members 9 on cover5 can be located anywhere on cover 5. Preferably, the plurality ofsecond fastening members are located on cover 5 in locations whichcorrespond to the location of the plurality of first fastening members 8on housing unit 2 so that the connection can be more uniform. The secondfastening members 9 can be any one of many known fastening devices,including loops of elastic, rubber, rope, nylon, metal, plastic, etc.;pile and loop fasteners, mechanical fasteners such as snaps or twistconnectors. The second fastening members 9 can be sewn, secured orattached to the cover 5 using any conventional methods. Preferably, thesecond fastening members 9 are resistant to being pulled off the cover 5(e.g., at least resistant to 15 pounds of pulling pressure).

In an alternative embodiment, only the cover 5 has fastening members(such as the second fastening members 9 of FIG. 9) which fasten directlyonto the grille 3 or housing unit 2 so that the cover 5 can be attachedto any window fan known in the art. In this embodiment, the housing unit2 would not need corresponding fastening members for the fasteningmembers on cover 5 to attach to.

Cover 5 can be attached to either the rear and/or front panel of thewindow fan. In other words, the cover 5 can be attached to the panel orgrille of the window fan facing outside or facing inside, or both. Thecover 5 can also include art or decorations.

Having thus described the basic concept of the invention, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detaileddisclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only, and isnot limiting. Various alterations, improvements, and modifications willoccur and are intended to those skilled in the art, though not expresslystated herein. These alterations, improvements, and modifications areintended to be suggested hereby, and are within the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A window fan system comprising: a housing unit having a front paneland a rear panel, said front panel and rear panel having grilles, a fandisposed between said front and said rear panel, a motor, a controlelement, a cover, a plurality of first fastening members on said housingunit, a plurality of second fastening members on said cover designed toconnect with said plurality of first fastening members on said housingunit.
 2. The window fan system of claim 1, wherein the cover is madefrom fabric.
 3. The window fan system of claim 1, wherein the pluralityof first fastening members are protrusions and the plurality of secondfastening members are loops.
 4. A window fan cover which includes aplurality of fastening members for attaching to a window fan.